Having a smart/connected baseball base and home plate, accompanied with a smart baseball, can help solve two common problems in baseball and/or softball. One of the most controversial calls in baseball is the force out at first base. In the last couple years, the Major League Baseball (MLB) and some colleges have instituted video replay to help the umpire determine if the runner touched the base before the first baseman caught the ball. The problems with video replay are that it is time-consuming since the umpire has to go over and watch the replay on a screen, and is not practical for baseball stadiums that do not have video recording systems such as at high schools and most colleges. Having an inexpensive and faster solution to determine force-outs would be very valuable to casual leagues or clubs, little league, or high school leagues.
When playing casual baseball, it may be difficult to determine whether a pitch was a strike or ball. Most of the time the catcher or pitcher just guesses, which can often lead to contention. Having an automated, instantaneous solution to determine whether a pitched ball is a strike, defined as above the plate and between the batter's knees and mid-torso, or a ball, defined as outside that area, would be valuable to casual players.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.